Reliving the Pain of Yesterday
by Shinobucchi
Summary: He clutched his head with his free hand and set his teacup down on its saucer with his other. It made a clink as the china struck together. Just like that day. Mr. Kirkland squeezed his eyes shut as the flashback and memories of that fateful day slowly filtered back into his mind. AU. Warnings inside.


"Good afternoon, Mr. Kirkland. Today I will be conducting our interview about your experience of the Blitz in London during World War 2. May we please begin?" Holly tucked a stray strand of hair that had escaped from her hasty bun behind her ear and shifted slightly in her seat to face the old man sitting across the table who gave a small nod, signaling the start of the interview. She shuffled her papers into a neat stack and gave her stationery a onceover before looking back up at him. Really, the things she did for her school projects.

"Mr. Kirkland, could you please describe to me an incident that you recall during the Blitz?"

"Why yes, it was the first bombing of London during the World War Two. I remember that day just as if it had happened yesterday."

"When was the bombing?"

"It began on a Saturday afternoon. The 7th of September, 1941 to be exact.

"Mr. Kirkland, how old were you when the bombing took place?"

"I was only twelve years old."

"Can you recall what happened before the bombing started?"

"Yes. I was having afternoon tea with my parents –" Mr. Kirkland's eyes suddenly widened. He clutched his head with his free hand and set his teacup down on its saucer with his other. It made a clink as the china struck together. _Just like that day. _Mr. Kirkland squeezed his eyes shut as the flashback and memories of that fateful day slowly filtered back into his mind.

_The teacup landed on its accompanying saucer with a loud clink as he placed it down with more strength then was needed. Usually, his mother would immediately reprimand him for that, but today was different. She was leaning forward across the table, listening attentively to the radio broadcasting news of the worldwide war. Meaningless information to him drifted above his head. Was the war really that important? It was not like England was involved in the war yet. Why couldn't he be outside playing football instead? He gazed at the cobblestone streets through the window longingly. _

"Mr. Kirkland? Are you okay?" A feminine voice broke him out of his stupor. His glazed eyes cleared and he blinked around in confusion. It all felt so surreal. Had he just relived a memory of his past?

"Yes, yes. I am fine." Mr. Kirkland wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. "Sorry about that. Please continue with the interview. Where were we?"

Holly raised a concerned eyebrow, but she did not press any further and began to read from the paper in front of her. "Can you recall what happened before the bombing started?" Mr. Kirkland tried to describe the flashback he had just experienced and Holly hastily scribbled down the gist of it.

"Can you tell me what happened when the bombings started? Were there any warning sirens when the bombs started falling?" she prompted.

Mr. Kirkland pupils began to dilate and as the memory of that fateful day came crashing on him like a tsunami wave.

_Out of the blue, the air raid sirens rang out across the street, the pitch of their long bursts alternating between high and low. His parents' looked up, faces draining of their colour. Not a single word was exchanged between them, but they both knew what it meant. The threat of war had been looming over them for weeks to come now. It was obvious why the air raid sirens were blaring now. The Germans had come._

_His parents were snapped out of their shock by the drone of planes that drowned out the radio. Immediately galvanised into action, they made their way to the Anderson shelter in their garden with well-practiced ease. George's father carried the radio, which would be broadcasting important news of the war situation, while his mom took down flasks of tea and some bedding in case the air raid would last through the night._

_His father led the family to their shelter and began to set up camp. It was dark, dreary, and damp. The only source of light in the dank place was the dim sunlight filtered through the thin tarp hung over the door to keep the debris out. He huddled closer to his mother as his stomach clenched into a tight knot of nervousness. What was happening? His mother had tried to explain beforehand, but he still did not fully understand the war situation. Why were the Germans bombing his home?_

_And then it started. The first bomb fell and exploded with a great bang and the tremors from it shook the very foundations of their shelter. He was so startled that he nearly jumped out of this skin. Beside him, he could hear his mother fervently muttering prayers under her breath. The first bomb was quickly succeeded by many more. He did not know how many bombs had fallen. He saw the glow of orange through the tarp covering the door and the explosions of the bomb sounded even louder than thunder, and they were heard in all directions. The very ground shook with the powerful explosions and the corrugated iron sheets of their shelter rattled violently. Smoke permeated the air which carried the smell of burning. But even worse, were the screams. He covered his ears and winced each time he heard a scream pierced his ears. The debris from the bombs and buildings kept pelting the iron sheets and resonated clearly throughout the room, increasing his terror._

_Finally, a loud bang was heard so close to them and their shelter was almost rocked off its foundations by the explosion. The bomb felt as if it had landed right beside George's shelter. An anguished scream that sounded horribly like Mr McKenzie next door filled the It was cut off mid-scream by the rumbling of falling debris. Then silence filled the air. All was quiet. It seemed as though for a moment, everything, the explosions, the screams, the rattling of the iron sheets, and the flying debris had stopped. Then the loud "All Clear" siren wailed through the streets, and it was all over. _

Mr. Kirkland was panting with ragged breaths when he came back to the present again. It took him longer to recover from his flashback this time. Mr. Kirkland conveyed his flashback of his past to the girl interviewing him and tried his best to answer her subsequent questions.

He managed to regain his composure and thanked Holly for interviewing him before showing her out.

As Holly stepped out onto the porch and bade Mr. Kirkland farewell, she began to look through the rather extensive notes she had taken down and thought, not bad, not bad at all, considering she had had to put up with an old man who kept spacing out on her. Really, the things she did for her school projects.

End


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